In a significant order, the Madras High Court on Friday directed the Chief Secretary to identify all old State enactments that had outlived their purpose and take steps to repeal those laws in consultation with the State Law Commission. The court ordered that the entire exercise must be completed within three months.
Justice M. Dhandapani issued the direction while dismissing multiple claims for title, under the Tamil Nadu Inam Estates (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act of 1948, over 1.49 acre of prime land worth several crore rupees at Koyambedu in Chennai despite it having been acquired by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board way back in 1967.
Since the ryotwari (agricultural) lands had lost their character over the years, the judge ordered that no application for issuance of ‘ryotwari patta’ should be entertained by lower level officers in the State and any such application should be placed before the Special Commissioner and the Commissioner for Land Administration for appropriate orders.
